In the 25 years that Human Nature, Australia’s leading pop vocal group, have been together they’ve had five No. 1 albums, sold millions of records around the world and collected close to two dozen Top 40 hits. Since 2009 their dazzling Motown tribute show presented by Smokey Robinson has delighted audiences in Las Vegas.

While much has been written about the group, little is known about the individuals who make up the soulful harmonies. In one of his first American, solo interviews, Toby Allen is opening up about his sexuality and his family. Aside from Human Nature, Allen has performed in London as the emcee in Cabaret and in Australia as Kenickie in Grease. Still, like the others in Human Nature, he always returns to the group. Although he likes to tease the key to their success is that they don’t sleep together, in truth he said it’s their bond that has kept them together all of these years.

“We were just friends in high school and doing musical things. We were all mates before we began singing together. Then we found something we love doing together, and we still love doing it today,” Allen said.

Having once worked as a perfume salesman, Allen said if singing hadn’t worked out he was studying to become a geologist. As a kid he enjoyed playing soccer and tennis and riding horses. Now as the father of two-year-old twins, Harvey and Roxanne with husband, actor Darren Weller, Allen is not only keeping active in Las Vegas, but is embarking on an Australian tour with Human Nature to celebrate their new album,Jukebox, and their 25th anniversary.

Over the years you have traveled all over the world. Do you recall your first trip to the U.S.?

I remember in ’91 we were on our way to London, and on the way back we stopped at Disneyland. It was exciting. We grew up in Australia hearing so much about the U.S. and were exposed to the culture through TV and movies. We actually went to a ballgame on an early trip to the U.S., as well. I remember seeing a Lakers game once. We don’t have that scale or style of sport in Australia.

For those who aren’t familiar with you or Human Nature, how would you describe yourself?

I can sometimes come across as a little shy. Once I get to know people I get much more gregarious. I might be more reserved on stage than I am in social situations.

What’s it like being a father?

It’s awesome! Exhausting. Fun. It’s everything and better than anything I ever thought it would be.

Did you always know you wanted to be a father?

I had an inkling that I would be. I didn’t know how it would happen or what I’d have to go through to do it.

When you met Darren at a charity tennis game in Sydney in 2005, was it love at first sight?

It felt like it. He introduced himself, and there was definitely a connection. Then the following days and weeks after we discovered more about each other. It was really obvious that there was something special there. It was a thrill.

You told New Idea magazine in 2013: “I think a lot of people knew I was gay, but it never became an issue, which was really lovely. I haven’t hidden away from it, but I haven’t searched out that publicity either.” Was there ever any hesitation in the group for you coming out?

No, not at all. Initially we just wanted people to focus on our music. After a while all of the guys were incredibly supportive and sexuality was a non issue.

Was it always easy for you to be open with your sexuality or was it a struggle?

There are so many different situations and everyone has their own struggles, I guess. I was at a boarding school and being into music, I was sort of a natural target. At the same time I was discovering more about myself, so I really wasn’t out at school. In fact, it wasn’t until I went to university and was exposed to other ways of life that I felt more secure to go out and be more myself. Luckily I had a loving family who loved me for who I was, so it was sort of a non issue. Most people said they knew anyway, which I am sure happens a lot. I didn’t struggle so much. Maybe when I was in school, but there wasn’t much of a struggle after that. I feel bad for people who do struggle, and I hope they can find someone who can be a support.

I want to ask you a few quick questions so people can get to know you better. What is one thing you can’t travel without?

Now it’s my children. I’m notorious for being a gadget buff, so I love my Gameboy and that sort of stuff. Also, my phone and iPad.

What is one CD you can’t live without?

That is a tough question. Prince’s The Gold Experience. That’s probably my favorite.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Margo Kidder. She was Lois Lane in the Superman film. I was a young, young kid, and I remember having a crush on her.

Are you and Darren planning on having more children?

We’ve thrown the idea around. Our relationship with our surrogate was happy. She comes to Vegas, and we visit her. Now when I think about it, I just feel tired. Having twins is a whole other ballgame. We are so blessed to have a boy and a girl. There is still time, though. There are still embryos there. Right now we’re probably just going to enjoy what we got.

Other than your children, what are you the most proud of?

The fact that we [Human Nature] are still together doing what we love. There are not many groups that manage to survive that long.

Human Nature was recently in Australia for ‘The Jukebox Tour – a 25th Anniversary Celebration’ which kicked off in Melbourne on April 23rd. With the release of the platinum accredited JUKEBOX in October last year, which has surpassed 100,000 units of sales, Human Nature’s 11th studio album in their 20 year recording history with Sony Music, 2015 marks the 25 years of Human Nature together as a band.
In honour of this incredible milestone, we could bore you with the number of early morning calls, the odd missed alarm, the number of both domestic & international flights taken, the amount of sound checks, phone interviews, promo schedules the guys have undertaken throughout their career, or even listing all the Australian venues they have played. Instead, we thought we would share with you these incredible feats –

‘The Jukebox Tour – A 25th Anniversary Celebration’ commemorated 25 successful years since the band was founded, with the iconic group touring the country in April and May 2015.
JUKEBOX was produced by David Pierce (Michael Buble) with fellow Canadian music man Bob Rock (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Michael Buble) on board as Executive Producer. A roll-call of elite musicians recorded their parts for JUKEBOX. Indeed, members of Buble’s horn section deliver the goods on seven tracks, including ‘Wonderful World’, ‘End Of Days’, ‘Runaround Sue’ and ‘Good Lovin’. Double bass maestro, Chuck Berghofer added his genius to ‘Stand by Me’, ‘Unchained Melody’, ‘Runaround Sue’, ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ and ‘Under The Boardwalk’.
JUKEBOX was recorded in L.A., Calgary, Toronto and in Human Nature’s adopted home of Las Vegas.
Since signing with Sony Music Australia in 1994, Human Nature have enjoyed five No. 1 albums in Australia. All told, they’ve achieved 24 platinum awards, 18 top 40 hits and five top 10 hits worldwide. In 2005, Human Nature released the five-time platinum album REACH OUT – THE MOTOWN RECORD, a collection of Motown hits. It went on to win the ARIA Award for the highest-selling Australian album of the year, and it reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Heat Seekers chart.

Following a sold out first show, Human Nature have met the overwhelming demand of their Queensland fans, by announcing a second and final Gold Coast show on their ‘The Jukebox Tour – A 25th Anniversary Celebration’.

Celebrating 25 successful years since forming, fans will need to snap up their tickets quickly with the show at Jupiters Casino on Sunday 3rd May going on sale 9:00am Monday 30th March via www.ticketek.com.au and 132 849.

This national tour follows the group’s latest album ‘Jukebox’ that debuted at #2 on the ARIA Albums charts in October 2014, before being awarded platinum status. ‘The Jukebox Tour – A 25th Anniversary Celebration’ will see Human Nature tour nationally performing a broad range of charming vocal songs from the by gone eras of the 50s and 60s. The tour will begin in Melbourne in April before visiting Hobart, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne again.

“We are thrilled to spend another night of the Gold Coast performing for our QLD fans. It’s going to be a blast!” says Andrew Tierney from Human Nature.

The release of ‘Jukebox’ coincides with Human Nature’s upcoming 25th anniversary since forming in high school in their home city of Sydney. ‘The Jukebox Tour – A 25th Anniversary Celebration’ will also feature performances from all the albums Human Nature have released over their 20-year recording career with Sony Music Australia. Fans can expect a fun night of music and dancing with the incredible Human Nature 7-piece band and string players joining them on stage.

A quarter of a century on and Human Nature continue to live their dream as one of Australia’s greatest musical success stories. See them in Australia as they perform the ultimate show featuring songs from their new album ‘Jukebox’ and all their hits.

The Star Sydney is thrilled to announce that Human Nature will perform an up close and personal show, ‘Human Nature the Jukebox Show’, on 10 May 2015 to create the ultimate Mother’s Day experience.

One of Australia’s greatest success stories with sell-out shows around the world and multi-platinum records, Human Nature is coming to The Star Event Centre to perform all of their biggest hits live.

Better yet, get to know Human Nature with once-in-a-lifetime meet and greet experiences, as well as premium dinner packages available for those wanting to give their mum an experience they’ll never forget.

The Star General Manager of Marketing, Sales and Entertainment, Richard Howarth says it’s a rare opportunity to enjoy a more intimate performance from the talented group.

“Having world-class acts like Human Nature perform at the purpose-built Star Event Centre is incredibly exciting and with only 1,500 tickets on sale, there’s no doubt it will be a truly memorable performance,”

“With cabaret-style tables and five-star food and beverage packages on offer – not to mention a pre-show meet and greet photo opportunity, people will be able to enjoy even more than just the great show.” he said.

Celebrating 25 successful years since the group formed and 20 years since signing with Sony Music Entertainment Australia, Human Nature The Jukebox Show will be one of The Star’s key events for 2015 and The Star Event Centre, with its range of venues, is set to be the destination for the hottest tickets in Sydney throughout the year.

“Returning to our hometown of Sydney at The Star for this special Mother’s Day show will be really special personally and for our fans. We’re looking forward to celebrating with everyone!” said Mike Tierney.

Tickets are on sale from Thursday, 5 March 2015 via www.ticketek.com.au and are sure to sell out fast! Prices range from $89.90 for balcony seats through to $459.90 for Diamond Table Packages.

After a successful run of “Motown, Christmas & More!”, Human Nature will be returning with “The Motown Show” at Sands Showroom at The Venetian Las Vegas. Performances will be Tuesday through Saturday at 7:00pm.

This Spring, Human Nature brought their new album to life across Australia with ‘The Jukebox Tour – A 25th Anniversary Celebration.’ This tour, like the Jukebox album, highlighted an eclectic mix of feel-good vocal songs of the 50s and 60s that first inspired the group, while also featuring material from their 20-year recording career with Sony Music Australia.

As always, the band is extremely excited to return home and perform for the fans who have been with them throughout their amazing 25-year career. “We are thrilled to be coming back home! There is nothing better than coming home and performing for our Aussie fans. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. It’s such a privilege to do what we do and coming home, even for such a short time really puts everything into perspective. After 25 years, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come,” says Andrew. Do not miss this musical tribute to the unforgettable songs of a generation that ignited an incredible bond between these four talented artists.

On JUKEBOX, the four-piece takes a trip back to the glory days of popular music — the hits of ‘50s and ’60, when the jukebox was the party-starter. It’s a selection of works which shaped popular culture, of good times embedded into music. “We wanted to record this album just to have a chance to approach those classic songs of the jukebox era of the ‘50s and ‘60s,” explains Toby. “They’re such iconic songs that had a whole lot of harmony in them and they’re actually songs that had a really big influence on us when we were first starting out.”

Jukebox Track Listing:

1. Will You Love Me Tomorrow

2. Runaround Sue

3. Under The Boardwalk

4. Stand by me

5. Good Lovin’

6. Unchained Melody

7. Stay

8. Wonderful World

9. Only You (You Alone)

10. Little Bitty Pretty One

11. I Only Have Eyes For You

12. End Of Days

13. Twist and Shout

14. Earth Angel

JUKEBOXis much more than just a hits set. For Human Nature, it’s a milestone recording. It’s the band’s 11th studio album, and its release will mark a quarter century since Human Nature formed. JUKEBOX is the group “coming full circle,” notes Andrew. “It’s going back to how we started, singing doo wop. So, this was the era when vocal groups were the biggest and the boldest and that’s what Jukebox is to us — being the group we always wanted to be.”

JUKEBOX is the album Human Nature had to grow-up to make. The members of the quartet took full control of creative direction and vocal arrangements for the project. “I guess JUKEBOX has extended the idea for us of who we are as musicians,” explains Toby. “When we were approaching all the Motown music, there was a lot of detail to the music that we only truly appreciated later on. Similarly, with the JUKEBOX music, a lot of it is really fun music and it sounds like its simple, but when we get into recording it there was a lot of intricacy. Had we been a younger group we might not have approached it in the same way. We’ve learned a lot recording Motown and now recording the JUKEBOX record.”

“This album has come at the perfect time for us,” notes Andrew on the upcoming JUKEBOXrelease. “It’s the celebration of us being together that long, a celebration of how we started and it’s the perfect record to make at this point of our career. It’s also a culmination of 20 successful years with Denis Handlin and his team at Sony Music – we’re family and with a partnership of this nature, we’re in through thick and thin with one universal drive; our passion for music and all it can achieve for our fans and our combined love of what we do. This new album represents who we are as Human Nature, all we are and all we strive to be as artists. We hope you enjoy it as much as we loved making JUKEBOX come to life.”

The previously announced SMOKEY ROBINSON Presents Human Nature: The Motown Show at London’s Eventim Apollo has been rescheduled for 15 May 2015. All tickets sold remain valid for the new date.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to our UK fans who have bought tickets for the November show. We are very focused on making the Eventim Apollo show a highlight for our fans in May 2015. We will be back bigger, brighter and full of excitement to bring our first London dates to you all very soon!” said Human Nature.

Direct from the USA and following 1,000 Las Vegas headlining shows as well as two North American concert tours, Toby Allen, Phil Burton, and brothers Andrew Tierney and Michael Tierney will perform Motown’s greatest hits accompanied by their seven-piece band, the Funk Foundation. Australia’s most successful male vocal group, Human Nature, are to bring their acclaimed production, SMOKEY ROBINSON Presents: Human Nature The Motown Show, to London as part of the group’s 25th Anniversary celebrations. The show will have its first London performance on 15 May 2015 at the Eventim Apollo. Tickets are now available.

Walking across the stage of the Apollo with the lights out and the theatre empty would be a thrill for any musician or fan. Now imagine playing in front of a packed crowd, flanked by legends like the Isley Brothers and current stars like Joss Stone, to celebrate the 80th birthday of the legendary Harlem Theatre. That’s what Human Nature got to experience last week, as they blew the star-studded crowd away with their soulful and audience-moving medley of Motown hits. This Huffington Post article highlights the boys’ role in the birthday bash, and talks about how many greats have performed on that very stage. Here’s to another 80 years!

There are places to play, and then there are places to play, and the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem is one of the latter. The boys of Human Nature found that out when they played at the world-famous venue’s amazing 80th-anniversary party. The Apollo has always been a place where taste-makers and record execs rubbed elbows with the everyday music fan, and Human Nature fits into that tradition, showing everyone a good time. Check out the picture of the boys looking dapper, blowing the crowd away with their medley of Motown favorites. Joining in on a night that also featured luminaries like Gladys Knight and the Isley Brothers, Human Nature helped start the Apollo’s next 80 amazing years off in style.